DeSantis formally launches his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He seeks to become a formidable challenger to President Trump. Ron DeSantis announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday in a glitch-filled Twitter appearance β a diminished figure in his party after a steady fall in polls in recent months, but still the top rival to former President Trump. And we should choose a new direction, a path that will lead to American revitalization.
We must restore sanity to our nation. DeSantis hit on a variety of Republican concerns about the state of the country, including several that have become his hallmarks: inflation, diversity and inclusion goals at companies and government agencies, and vaccine mandates.
His announcement on Twitter Spaces, and in a produced video posted on the website, was interrupted by a variety of technical problems that delayed the start time and led to several periods in which the hosts appeared to be discussing website bandwidth issues brought on by the large number of listeners.
DeSantis answered questions from friendly Republican activists and supporters and also spent several minutes condemning the news media and his critics.
As recently as a few months ago, DeSantis was seen as a potential favorite for the nomination. The former Trump protege won reelection in November by a landslide margin in a state formerly seen as competitive. That victory came in an otherwise disappointing midterm election cycle for his party in which many candidates endorsed by Trump fared poorly.
